How to Make Shea Butter Soap

Akoma' Shea butter has been produced in Ghana by the Akoma Multipurpose Society (Cooperative). The Shea Butter is processed from nuts gathered from the karite tree grown in Bolgatanga Upper East Region Ghana; often referred to as karite butter. Shea butter is soothing and extremely therapeutic, helping to heal cracked, aged and damaged skin. Its can also help to heal bruising and soreness.

Because of the way Shea butter works on the skin, you can use it in the bath as your daily soap, to help with stretch marks, and in anti-aging formulas. However these soaps are fun and cheaper to make yourself so here are instructions to make your own.

  1. Boil tap water in a double-broiler. Grate your castile soap until you have two full cups. Add this to the inner double-boiler, with ½ cup of distilled water.
  2. Melt it over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the soap is completely melted and stringy when you pull up the spoon. Remove it from the heat.
  3. Add the shea butter and almonds, stirring gently until the mixture is well blended. Pour into small plastic food containers and let dry and harden for several hours. They should pop out when completely hard.

4.Place on the drying rack and allow soap to set for 3 weeks, turning regularly throughout the day to prevent the bars from warping.

  1. Simply wrap the shea butter soaps in plastic wrap to preserve them, or use them in your next bath.

Tips

  • For a faster melting time, use your microwave.
  • A double boiler would be preferable to avoid loss of its natural consistency

Warnings

  • If you are allergic to latex, you will want to do a small patch test before you slather shea butter all over.

What you need

  • All-natural Castile (olive oil based) soap
  • Distilled water
  • 2 tbsp all-natural, unrefined shea butter
  • 1 tbsp finely ground almonds (optional, but a nice addition for a gentle exfoliating soap with a nice scent)
  • A grater
  • A double boiler, or a small pot that can be placed inside of a bigger pot
  • Small plastic food containers for molds
  • A mixing spoon
  • A drying rack

Many thanks to wikihow for these instructions.  Let us know if you give it a go.

 Nina

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